


Remnants

by legendofthesevenstars



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: Bodysharing, Canonical Character Death, F/F, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26325115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legendofthesevenstars/pseuds/legendofthesevenstars
Summary: After Meyneth leaves her body, Fiora is dying. But rather than dwelling on her impending death, she finds herself thinking back on her memories of the time she shared with Meyneth.
Relationships: Fiora & Vanea (Xenoblade Chronicles), Fiora/Meyneth (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: Xenoblade Femslash Exchange 2020





	Remnants

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sneep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sneep/gifts).



> This is my gift for Snazz for the XBC Femslash Exchange! The original prompt was "Meyneth and Fiora talking and learning to understand each other." I was SO excited by this prompt because I absolutely adore both Fiora and the Machina.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this, Snazz! It's always great to get some more femslash in the fandom, and I'm so excited to see others' contributions to the exchange :-)

It was too easy to tell everyone she was fine, even as her body fell apart in front of them. She lifted her head and kept fighting, though her systems had begun to fail as she depleted the last of Meyneth’s energy reserves. She was a corpse, and she hadn’t been alive ever since Metal Face had pierced her with his claws. Fiora was running on empty.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone, and if they didn’t ask, they were none the wiser. But Vanea and Linada would realize what was wrong. So she’d avoided talking about her situation after Meyneth left her body. But as soon as Shulk woke up as healthy as if he’d never been shot, Vanea turned her attention to Fiora.

“At last I’ve found you.” She didn’t say it triumphantly, more with gentle concern. “Fiora, how are you faring now that Lady Meyneth has left you?”

Fiora looked at her metal feet. She swished them back and forth, making ripples in the pond where Junks had docked. “Fine.”

“Do not try to fool me. She was keeping you alive. Your body could fail anytime soon.”

A gear whirred in her chest. “Honestly, I’m not concerned about my body. Either Linada figures it out or she doesn’t.”

“I am also helping her. Egil and I never had any reason to reverse the process, so I do not know how, either. But if we fail, you will die. Is that not a cause for concern? Especially with a family that loves you so very much.”

Fiora smiled sadly. “I don’t want to worry any of them. Especially not my brother and Shulk. But, to tell the truth, it’s not my body I’m sad about.” She lifted her head, looking into Vanea’s steel gray eyes. “I never expected to come back, and I guess I still have mixed feelings about it.”

“Then perhaps I should apologize again.”

“It hasn’t been all bad. Mostly, it’s made me happy. You gave me the chance to be with everyone again. I can’t thank you enough for that. And I can’t thank you enough for helping me meet her.”

She closed her eyes, folding her hands over the chest component that had housed Meyneth’s soul. If she concentrated, she could still feel the glowing remnants of Meyneth’s life—her Monado—within.

She felt Vanea cautiously place her hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up at Vanea, placing her hands in her lap.

“Lady Meyneth must have been truly distressed to leave you behind. You two grew undeniably close.”

“Yeah. Really close.”

“Close” wasn’t even enough to capture how Fiora had felt about Meyneth. Meyneth had helped her grow and given her the opportunity to see the world, not just alive but in the body of a Machina. Meyneth had grown to love Fiora’s family and friends and vowed to protect her vessel. Meyneth had not just kept Fiora alive; she had made her _feel_ alive. And now she no longer had Meyneth. No more casual conversations in her mind. No more rushes of ether through her circuitry. No more letting Meyneth take over when she wanted. And no more Meyneth protecting her when she needed her most. Now she was just Fiora. Left alone, without a Monado and without Meyneth.

“There were just so many things I wish I could have asked her,” Fiora said. “I wish I could have been with Meyneth for a bit longer. I wish she could have come with us to fight Zanza, to help us end it. But now she’s gone. And all I can do is think of the things I wish I could say to her.”

At least she would always have memories. Not just Meyneth’s memories, but the memories of the time she had spent with her.

—

She had first come back to herself after they fell from Galahad Fortress, waking up in Shulk’s arms. It was probably the tightest hug he’d ever given her, tears running down his cheeks. He was just so happy to have her back. She was happy to be back.

But he was angry at the stranger who shared her body for “hijacking” it. She hadn’t hijacked it, Fiora explained. The stranger felt warm and safe. She had protected Fiora’s body even while Fiora had been screaming inside to get out. Fiora had been there all along while the stranger was in control. She’d shouted with joy when the visor had opened and she’d seen Shulk, Dunban, and Reyn. She’d broken into sobs when the stranger looked at Dunban with discerning eyes, not recognizing him as her kin. And she’d pleaded desperately for the stranger to protect Shulk and the others at Galahad Fortress.

That was only the second time the stranger had listened. The first time, she’d told her she wanted to see Shulk, and Face Nemesis had flown to Valak Mountain. She’d been able to convince her to listen twice. And she’d lent her strength to save everyone. The other soul inside her was kind. She was certain of that much. Whatever she had been trying to do, Fiora wanted to finish her job.

But now she had gone dormant, and Fiora had control of her body again. She no longer felt like she was imprisoned inside herself, or like she was watching herself talk and fight. But she was exhausted and confused, and her fragile frame trembled with fear and fatigue. She kept pleading the stranger to _wake up_. She needed to know more about her.

Finally, while she was resting with Shulk, drifting in and out, the stranger woke up: _Have you been calling me?_

 _Oh! You’re awake!_ Fiora opened her eyes just barely. If she woke up all the way, Shulk might strike up a conversation, distracting her from talking to the stranger.

_I suppose you do not know my name. I am Meyneth._

_Hi, Meyneth! I’m—_

_I already know. You are Fiora. I’m so pleased to finally meet you._

She had a warm, elegant voice like rippling velvet. Fiora pictured a very beautiful high society woman wearing a fine dress.

_I am loath to disappoint you, but I do not look quite so fleshy._

_You can see what I’m thinking? Then can you show me what you look like?_

_Certainly._

A foggy picture of a gray-skinned woman in a mechanical dress entered her mind.

_Oh, so you’re not a Homs. You have a mechanical body just like me._

_I did, once. I am no longer corporeal. I have been asleep for very long, and my power has waned significantly. Therefore, I require your body to achieve my aims._

_What are you using my body for?_

Silence. Only her own thoughts, one of her two Machina hearts thumping, and the irregular thrum of her core unit where her stomach had been.

_Can’t you tell me?_

_I trust that boy with you. He is very kind, and he loves you very much. I will be very happy to meet the rest of your family, but I must rest again until then. The ordeal at the fortress has exhausted me…_

_Meyneth?_

Nothing. She had fallen quiet again.

So there were more people with machine bodies, not just her and the pilots of the Faces. She seemed to remember another woman, who had worked on her body and helped Meyneth with her plan. She’d had gray skin. A tall woman with gray skin and hair parted in the middle like Meyneth’s. It was almost like she had been… a devotee of Meyneth’s? Who was that woman?

It was too hard to access the memories from the time when Meyneth had been in control. She would strain too much and hurt her head. She had to keep resting so that she could be prepared to set off with Shulk and find the others.

—

Within hours, they were all reunited. Reyn’s hug was far more delicate than the rib-crushing hugs he’d used to give. Dunban had sniffled, and she’d wished she could cry, too. She met Sharla, who helped Linada fix her botched circuitry, including her dysfunctional second heart and failing core unit, so that it was properly implemented; Melia, a High Entia who appeared suspicious or angry at first but soon extended her hand and offered a polite smile; and Riki, a friendly, energetic Nopon who was impossible not to love.

She was lying on the operating room table in Junks, recovering, when Meyneth stirred again.

_I am overjoyed to see you in such high spirits despite your functional issues._

_I’m just happy to be with everyone and meet so many new people. But you must be worried about what you have to get done. Am I holding you back?_

_Now, Fiora. If you’re breaking down, I can’t get anything done!_

Even when she scolded Fiora, her voice was smooth and comforting.

_I know. I’m sorry, Meyneth._

_There’s nothing to apologize for. In fact, I must thank you. Because of the people who love you, I was able to feel the warmth of a hug again._

_Again? Don’t—didn’t you have anyone who was close to you?_

_What about Vanea?_ she wanted to ask but didn’t.

However, Meyneth heard her.

_I do love Vanea. Vanea is like my child. In fact, I used to have hundreds of children._

Hundreds _of children?!_ Fiora cried.

_I did. And they all loved me very much. But now I only have a few dozen. And I worry that some of them may begin to forget me in years to come, for I have been asleep for so long and my children have not been able to visit me._

_Meyneth, what are you? How can you have so many children?_

_You’ll know when the time is right. For now, I’m glad for how affectionate Homs are. It reminds me of something long past._

Fiora’s hearts thumped in her chest. Meyneth sounded so lonely. How long had she been all by herself, separated from her children?

_I wish I could give you a hug._

Meyneth laughed, like bells chiming. It sent a spark through Fiora’s circuitry. _Do not fret so. I’m just happy I have you to keep me company._

The ether in Fiora’s chest felt warm.

—

Traveling up the leg of the Mechonis allowed Fiora to finally have a chance to show her ability in battle. Though Nemesis had fought with Mechonis knives, piloting Nemesis while she was watching herself do it was nothing like actually fighting with Mechonis knives, which were much larger and more unwieldy than the knives she’d learned to wield in the Defence Force. And getting used to her body was still an ordeal. Every single day she woke up expecting to have to eat or go to the bathroom, but she only ever felt thirsty. She never sweated either, her body being mechanical, and no matter how much she felt like crying, she couldn’t.

The worst she had to deal with were the aches and pains. According to Linada, a normal Machina’s joints would need the occasional lubricant to function properly. But Fiora, partially organic and partially synthetic, only needed ether to soothe her sore joints. Sharla and Melia could help heal her injuries most of the time. Other times, Meyneth spread her Healing Energy from Fiora’s ether storage component throughout her circuitry to the affected joints, helping her body regenerate. When an offensive Mechon had dented the side of Fiora’s metal leg with its rotating arm, Sharla had been ready with a blast of ether, but Meyneth had patched Fiora up quickly before Sharla had the chance.

 _Thank you, Meyneth,_ Fiora said every time.

 _Keeping your body going is only my duty,_ was her response.

At the head of Mechonis Field, they met another Face, piloted by Gadolt, Sharla’s fiancé. Sharla had refused to believe Gadolt would attack them, but it was plain to see he had been brainwashed by Egil. Egil… someone called Egil. That was who they were going to the heart of the Mechonis to stop. She couldn’t remember clearly, but the name sounded so familiar. Egil… where had she heard that name before?

She finally met Vanea, who explained what had happened to Gadolt, and why the Homs had been made into Faces. Fiora could tell that as level-headed as he was trying to be, Dunban was frustrated, and Reyn even more so. Shulk just wanted to understand. Fiora wanted to understand, too. She needed to know more about Egil.

Thankfully, they got a moment’s rest before they moved on to the Central Factory. Fiora needed it. Her body ached all over, and Meyneth, too, was exhausted after expending all her energy protecting them from Gadolt’s fatal attack. Fiora shut her eyes, leaning her head against the shelter and pretending to sleep.

 _Are Dunban and Reyn causing you concern?_ Meyneth’s voice was gentle. _Their distress is unsettling, though understandable._

_Dunban and Reyn have a good reason to hate Egil. The Mechon have always been a threat to our home and our lives._

_And what of the others?_

_I’m not sure._

Sharla and Melia seemed to have similar reasons, but she really wasn’t sure what had happened to them. She hadn’t had the chance to talk about it yet. And Riki, well, who knew? Maybe even the Nopon had been affected by the Mechon, or maybe he was just their representative.

_Meyneth, I need to ask you something. I know you haven’t answered my questions before, but I really need to know this time. Why is Egil so angry? Why does he hold a grudge against everyone from Bionis? What did we ever do?_

Silence.

And then, _I regret I cannot tell you anything more. You must find the answer for yourself. When the time comes, you will understand his anger._

Fiora grit her teeth. The ether burned in her chest like bile in her throat. _Why can’t you tell me? Why are you hiding so much from me? I just want to know! You’ve done so much for me, but it makes me feel so powerless when I can’t help you._ She mentally clenched her fists. _Please, Meyneth. Otherwise I feel like me being made into a Face was all for nothing!_

A short silence again.

_Fiora… I’m sorry._

_What are you sorry about?!_

_Your body was captured and transformed into this and you had no say in the matter. I am so very sorry that my children went so far as to do this to you and other Homs. There are no reasons that could possibly justify their actions. You have every right to be angry at Egil and Vanea… and at me._

_So once again, Fiora. I am sorry._

Fiora opened her eyes slightly. Shulk had begun breathing gently out his nose next to her, his head buried in his knees. From the other side of the shelter, Reyn snored. Fiora lifted her metal hands and stared at them.

Dunban, who was on guard, glanced over his shoulder. She didn’t have time to dip her head before he saw her.

“Everything all right, Fiora?”

“It’s nothing. I just… had a strange dream.”

“Well, tell me about it if you need to. Otherwise, I’ll leave you be.”

“Thanks. I’m going to try and get back to sleep.”

He turned his head forward again, and she bent her knees up, copying Shulk’s position. Her metal knees felt cold against her face. Gears and pistons clicked in her chest. Her hearts had started to beat in unison as she got used to her Machina body.

_I don’t dislike my new body._

There was a brief lull before Meyneth responded, _Have you grown accustomed to it?_

 _I guess that’s the best way to put it._ Or maybe it was more that she didn’t want everyone else to worry.

_Well, Fiora… you don’t have to be. Just because your body is artificial does not mean you are suddenly barred from feeling angry about your situation. We Machina have feelings, too. You do not need to hide your anger from your loved ones… or from me._

Fiora breathed out a silent sigh. If only she could offer the same to Meyneth. Meyneth had always comforted her. Healing her body, giving her strength, and letting her express her feelings. Why couldn’t Meyneth open herself to Fiora, too? It frustrated her how inaccessible Meyneth felt. She never wanted to speak about herself. But there was so much more Fiora wanted to know. She didn’t want Meyneth to be lonely. Meyneth always insisted that she had Fiora and that was enough. Fiora could only guess how desperate she was to actually talk about herself. Yet she hid everything, just like Fiora herself always did.

There were so many more things she needed to ask, but she had to rest first. Hopefully her answers would come when they reached Agniratha.

—

Fiora’s chest still blazed with Meyneth’s ether energy after she’d released the power of Final Cross on Gadolt, restoring him to how he once was. But after they’d fallen from Agniratha, she hadn’t been able to sustain Meyneth’s power for long enough to keep them afloat. Luckily, Junks had been just in time to save them. With Miqol’s assistants at the helm, everyone could take some time to recuperate, and Fiora would finally have an opportunity to process all that she’d learned.

In just twenty-four hours, what everyone had thought was true about the Mechonis had been completely changed. Reyn was still the last holdout, but Fiora suspected that seeing Shulk and Dunban change their minds had begun to sway him. But Egil’s mind could not be changed. As much as she—together with Meyneth—and Shulk had tried to reason with him, they hadn’t been able to convince him.

She hid under the stairwell in Junks to rest and talk to Meyneth, without the others around to distract her. After witnessing what he’d just done to the Allied Force in Sword Valley, remembering how he forced Nemesis to attack everyone at Galahad Fortress, and thinking back to what the Mechon had done to her, Dunban, Reyn, and Colony 9, her feelings about Egil had grown complicated again. Meyneth would be the best person to talk to about this. She had known Egil since he was a baby, and she would have watched over him all that time.

_Meyneth, thank you again._

_Oh? Fiora?_ Her voice was foggy, as if she’d just been roused from sleep.

_Thank you for telling all of us about the tragedy of Zanza. Now that I understand that it wasn’t the Mechonis that attacked Bionis, that it was the other way around, my eyes have been opened. And I understand why Egil is so angry._

_His heart has been consumed by darkness._ She could almost see Meyneth lowering her head in shame. _I cannot help but feel responsible knowing he did all of this in my name, and yet there is no way for me to stop him. He has turned his back on me, as all of my children eventually will._

 _Meyneth, stop it!_ Fiora furrowed her brow, though Meyneth wouldn’t be able to see her expression. _Don’t blame yourself for what Zanza or Egil did. You did everything you could. Sometimes you can’t stop someone from just doing what they want, whether they’re Homs or Machina._

_I know you are right, and yet I feel ashamed of the destruction Egil wrought upon the Bionis._

She sighed, long and drawn out. _Fiora, you do not have to forgive Egil. None of you do._

 _It’s not about forgiveness. I want to try and make him_ understand _._

The Machina in the Hidden Village had all been distraught about Egil, insisting he had been a good person once, so sweet and kind, and then the tragedy of Agniratha had twisted his heart with rage and sadness. Vanea still looked at him with affection in her eyes, though he’d gone down a murderous path. And Fiora thought she could even feel the unconditional love that Meyneth felt for him in her own heart.

 _The truth is,_ Fiora began, _the Mechon killed our father. I was too young to remember, but it shook Dunban to his core. He was enraged. He joined the Defence Force even though he was only thirteen and he’d never touched a weapon in his life._

_And Reyn… Reyn’s parents died when he was young. They were both military, too, and the Mechon killed them. And because Metal Face killed me, Shulk and Reyn set out on their journey._

_And did you feel resentment toward the Mechon?_

Fiora paused. Until they attacked Colony 9 that day, they’d always seemed like a myth or a distant memory. She had only been six when Dunban had taken her on his back and escaped the colony, and all she remembered was the wail of the sirens and the booming explosions from the anti-air battery ammunition. But the attack a few months ago was the first time she’d really seen what the Mechon actually _did_ to people, and the first time she’d really felt compelled to protect Dunban, Shulk, and Reyn, and the colony.

_I always hated them because I felt like I was supposed to. Because of what happened to Dad. But I didn’t know my dad. I never knew anyone who’d died in an attack. Not until I was the one who died._

_I know it sounds odd._ Fiora hugged her knees close. _But I’m kind of thankful I did what I did. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I would have had the chance to see the Mechonis. To truly understand the Machina and to see the world from a Machina’s eyes._

_I’m glad you feel that way, Fiora. And… I’m glad it was you._

Fiora’s left heart skipped. _It really could have been anyone._

_You heard Vanea. Her choice was very deliberate, and I am glad for that. You are so bright and empathetic. I admire your courage and spirit. You make me feel free._

The ether in Fiora’s chest was glowing, like a warm hug from Meyneth. Fiora hugged her knees tighter, as if she could hug the living soul inside her by hugging herself. She felt so alive, so free.

_I admire your kindness and empathy. You have so much love in your heart. I want to be like that, too._

A light chuckle. _So many Machina have told me the same, but when I hear it from a Homs, it sounds different. Like home._

—

Since Meyneth had left her body in the core of the Mechonis, the ether that had glowed in Fiora’s chest had almost gone dormant. She longed for another warm ether “hug” from the woman who had shared her body. She longed to feel her regenerative energy soothing her sore joints. She longed to hear another voice echoing in her mind. She missed their talks. She wished she could have hugged her back, and somehow pulled her back by reaching out for her. Every last remnant of her was gone, even her Monado. Only a few glimmers of energy remained, enough for the occasional Final Cross, even if it might knock her out after she used it.

Vanea had been silent for ten minutes while Fiora swished her feet in the water. She lifted them and looked at them. It no longer felt like she was looking at a stranger’s body. The metal appendages had grown to be a part of her. As much as she wanted to be able to taste her own cooking again, she wasn’t ready to let go of the hollow shell she was currently inhabiting. But would she really rather die? The thought of dying again terrified her. But there was a chance she wouldn’t live to see Zanza vanquished, or live past his demise.

_You make me feel free._

Vanea had said the same. _Lady Meyneth wished to be free._ Free from imprisonment? From her guilt? From loneliness?

One of Miqol’s assistants had said that Egil must have been smiling when the end came, that he had returned to his true self. Upon emerging from Fiora’s chest, Meyneth, more radiant and graceful than Fiora ever imagined, had smiled benevolently, too. It was only the ghost of a smile, but it made her chest feel hollow. Where there should have been ether, the building block of all life, helping sustain her, there were only remnants left. And remnants and memories were not enough to replace a whole soul.

“Vanea.” Fiora looked up from the water. “Do you think Egil and Meyneth were happy with how things turned out?”

Vanea lowered her head. “We had to leave them behind. Though I understood my brother’s goal, I wanted him to come. I didn’t want him to die, even though he ended up saving us.” She hesitated before asking, “Am I selfish for that?”

Fiora’s chest ached. Her hearts were pumping slower lately, and the smaller of the two had already begun to fail.

She placed a hand on Vanea’s shoulder. “Not at all. We would have died without Meyneth’s sacrifice. But now that she’s gone, I just feel so empty without her. And I know I won’t have any time to grieve before I have to fight Zanza.”

“Fiora, remember Meyneth’s last words? ‘Create a world with no need for gods.’ Defeating Zanza and ending the tragedy of Bionis and Mechonis was her wish.”

Fiora remembered how Meyneth’s rage had flared inside her when she was fighting Zanza. Their power combined hadn’t been enough to stand up to Zanza. And now Meyneth was gone. Vanea was right. Fiora had to ensure Meyneth’s, and Egil’s, sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

Fiora removed her hand from Vanea’s shoulder. “I know. I’ll always remember her last words, and I’ll always treasure the time I spent with her. I’m just…” She sighed. “I suppose I’m a little envious. You got to say goodbye to Egil, but I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye to Meyneth.”

“I know.” Vanea closed her eyes briefly. “Even so, Lady Meyneth was willing to sacrifice herself to protect the people of Bionis. It speaks not only to her selflessness, but also her capacity for love. When Egil saw her selfless act, he remembered Lady Meyneth’s true nature as well as his own. He knew he had to do the same, because we are created in her image.

“Fiora, I think Lady Meyneth loved you very much. She loved all of you, of course. But you were truly special to her. You were not just another one of her faithful. You allowed her to see the world and understand the viewpoint of a Homs. You allowed her to finally be free.”

“Free from her guilt and loneliness?”

Vanea nodded. “She was so very lonely, living for thousands of years without any visitors. I think you did more for her than you could ever realize.”

Fiora clutched her hands against her chest. Her core unit had started to hiccup lately as some of her circuits shorted out. The ether in her chest came in erratic bursts, and her joints ached with overuse. Her forehead burned as tears began to gather in her eyes, for the first time since she had died in Colony 9 that day. Vanea clicked her tongue, and Fiora fell against her shoulders, sobs racking her body.

Fiora knew she had to live. To stay alive for the woman who had helped her feel alive and free again, who had changed her viewpoint on the world. Even if her body changed, even if the Machina forgot, she knew she would never forget Meyneth.


End file.
